Hurricane Insurance For Florida Homeowners

Florida is one of the most impacted states by hurricanes and residents are no strangers to the damage they cause. According to AON, 2005’s Hurricane Katrina was the most expensive hurricane on record, having caused $65 billion in damage. Luckily, most home insurance provides coverage for hurricanes.

However, hurricane insurance in Florida is costly. The average cost ranges between $2,000-$6,000, depending on the company, and often includes a large deductible. As a decades-long insurance professional, I will break this coverage down for you and provide all you need to know about hurricane insurance.

Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Hurricane Damage?

Most standard homeowners’ policies consider hurricanes and other windstorms a covered peril. This means that hurricane damage would be covered, subject to your deductible. According to the Insurance Information Institute, about one in 35 homes have a property damage claim related to wind or hail, so hurricane coverage should be top of mind for many homeowners.

Some non-standard policies do not cover hurricane damage, called X-Wind policies. If you have an X-wind policy, any damage caused by hurricanes would be paid out of pocket. These types of policies are often offered to high-risk individuals in wind-prone areas who are unable to get coverage elsewhere.

What Does Hurricane Insurance Cover?

Hurricane insurance, despite its name, is not a separate insurance policy. It generally refers to a hurricane deductible on a standard homeowners policy. Hurricane deductibles can either be a flat rate or a percentage of your home’s dwelling limit, depending on what you choose.

Most standard homeowners’ policies include coverage for windstorms, which include hurricanes, tornadoes, and cyclones. However, there is some additional damage that can result from a hurricane that would not be covered under a standard homeowner policy, such as flooding. This would require a separate flood policy either through a private insurer or the National Flood Insurance Program through FEMA.

Hurricane Insurance Deductibles

Insurers may offer different types of deductibles for hurricanes, depending on the company. Some may have a windstorm, named storm, or a hurricane deductible. The difference is the type of loss for which they are applied.

When an insurance company offers a windstorm deductible, this applies to any windstorm regardless of whether it is a hurricane, tornado, or just an extra breezy day. Windstorm deductibles are the broadest of the three different deductible types.

Some carriers may have a “named storm” deductible instead. This means a separate deductible applies for windstorms that are named such as hurricanes and tropical storms, and your standard homeowner deductible would apply for any other wind loss.

A hurricane deductible applies only to hurricanes. If a storm is downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical storm, for example, your hurricane deductible would not be invoked.

Per Florida regulation, a hurricane deductible applies for any loss that occurs during the duration of a hurricane. The duration of a hurricane is defined as the start of a hurricane watch or warning, to the 72 hours following the last hurricane watch or warning from the National Hurricane Center. If you have multiple wind losses during one hurricane season, the hurricane deductible will only apply once.

All Florida insurers must offer consumers the option of a $500, 2%, 5%, or 10% hurricane deductible, with a few exceptions. The deductible amount should be listed on your declarations page showing the dollar amount, even if you choose a percentage. This is the out-of-pocket amount you will have to pay if there is a hurricane loss to your home.

How Much Is Hurricane Insurance In Florida?

The average cost of home insurance in Florida, including coverage for hurricanes, is $4,419 a year with a 2% hurricane deductible. In some areas, Florida homeowners are paying $6,000 on average for home insurance. According to Insurance Business, this is more than four times higher than the national average.

Remember that standard home policies will not protect you from floods. Even if they are a result of a hurricane or other windstorm. Since Florida gets an average of 59.21 inches of rainfall annually, has more than 11,000 miles of waterways, including rivers and streams, and is mostly flat terrain, flooding is more likely to happen in Florida than in any other state. So homeowners must consider a flood policy as well.

Flood policies in Florida can range between $109 per year to over $3,000. The exact price will depend on how far your home is from the coast and other specifics of the home. Homeowners should consider purchasing a flood policy to protect against possible water damage from hurricanes.

Best Hurricane Insurance Companies In Florida

The following are the best hurricane insurance companies in Florida as recommended by an industry veteran.

• USAA- While only offered to those in the military or those with family who have served, USAA is highly known throughout the industry for their financial strength, and claims and customer service.
• Liberty Mutual- Liberty Mutual offers discounts to their customers, including credits for a new roof or home updates. They also have a strong financial rating from AM Best and policies can be purchased through a local agent.
• Travelers- Travelers has been around for over a century and is a big player in the insurance industry. One of their biggest benefits is that they also offer flood insurance to their customers through a private flood insurer, Neptune Flood. This gives more flexibility to their customers when it comes to hurricane and flood protection.
• Heritage Insurance- Heritage Insurance is a publicly traded company based in Tampa. They are familiar with the Florida market and are available through local agents.
• Kin- Although not around as long as the other carriers on this list, Kin is a recommended insurer based on their coverage offerings and affordability. They specifically write home insurance for high-risk areas and offer policy endorsements such as flood and sinkholes for Florida consumers.